Semiconductor wafers made primarily of silicone are rather brittle and delicate in nature, but must be quickly handled during the processing thereof. Such wafers may be in the range of one and one-half to four inches in diameter and may be in the range of 15 to 50 thousandths of an inch in thickness. During the processing of such wafers, they are stored and handled in trays wherein the wafers essentially stand on edge in closely spaced relation to each other. Baskets or trays for handling such wafers accommodate 25 or more wafers at a time. Such trays or containers, typical of those commonly used, are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,558; U.S. application Ser. No. 378,686, filed July 12, 1973; and U.S. application Ser. No. 465,337, filed Apr. 29, 1974.
On certain occasions, it may be desirable to transport such silicone wafers during or after completion of the processing thereof. If such transporting is to be for a substantial distance, as by common carrier or the like, the shipping containers must protect the brittle, delicate wafers against damage. In handling such wafers, it is not uncommon to simply dump a tray of such wafers into a shipping container wherein the wafers are arranged in a manner similar to the arrangement in the processing trays.